How I Find My Peace

Happy New Year Everyone! Just a quick reflection on this picture and what it means to me. This is the view that I have every time I drive to see my horse. This hill is much higher and I usually view this at a much greater height, but I stopped where I found a driveway so you will all have to imagine how beautiful this is. I first saw this sight on my way home on the day I first took my horse out to my friends ranch to keep him. I had had a very rough year with my horse and was pretty darn close to selling. He was way greener than I thought, I had broken my shoulder, and I was CLUELESS as to starting a horse. Also, I was running out of money to just keep a horse as a big pet at a boarding barn and this horse is talented, he needs a job! My friend Linda at work who has horses invited me to keep my horse at her ranch because she is truly a nice person and wanted to see me really give Jackson a shot.

Even though I had driven this route before I had never noticed this HUGE cross sitting on top of an enormous hill. I was driving-- lost in thought-- looked up, and the sun was shining and this majestic cross was plopped in the middle of nowhere on top of this hill. I don't disbelieve in signs, but I honestly cannot tell you of a moment in my entire life like the one where I saw this cross and knew I was doing the absolute right thing and all would be well. And it has been. I ride all the time, my horse is progressing more with every ride, and I can do things I would of only dreamed of at the beginnng of 2008. I am hoping it will only get better in 2009! The moment we truly connected as horse and rider and I KNEW I would keep Jackson happened four months later on a riding weekend on a trail IN THE PITCH BLACK DARK, but that is a post for another time! (And I promise I will write it because it is both hilarious and totally cool!) I find a great deal of happiness riding my horse, being around my horse, and having friends who share in my love of horses, but everytime I drive over the hill and see that cross I find my Peace. A great sense of calm envelops me; I am driving OUT of that blasted city, on my way to do one of the things I love the most. In my humble opinion it doesn't get much better than this! Happy New Year everyone, may you all find your Peace in the upcoming year....

Jacks and friend...